Film studies

 The Lady from Shanghai - Orson Welles - Opening scene  The scene opens with a tracking shot of Elsa (Rita Hayworth) in a horse and carriage with a zoom in focus on her character. The high key lighting on her in the shot, as well as the mise-en-scene of her dress being white, highlights connotations of her character seeming pure and innocent from the outset of the film. This is explored even further when she finds herself in a mugging situation later on in the scene in the park, with Michael (Orson Welles) coming to save her. This concept of Elsa being an innocent character is further explored through light connotations of Hayworth's blonde hair, a common stylistic feature in many of Welles' films, which was also a controversial decision and angered Columbia when he did it as it was a change from Hayworth's infamous red hair. The idea of Elsa being presented as pure within the start of the film could reflect Michael's view of her as being a damsel in which he must save,

Short Film Project  Initial short film ideas: A narrative based on the life of a young woman who's troubled with substance abuse. She is currently sitting through a therapy session with a counsellor talking about some of the most prominent events in her life that has lead her down the path of drugs and alcohol. However, it's only towards the end that the counsellor realises the woman is talking about her life and past mistakes, and the narrative then reveals the woman to be another version of the counsellor but from a younger age.   A teenager visiting a remote lake and sitting on a pier whilst reliving the death of his younger brother who had previously drowned at the lake whilst they were hanging out there during summer a few years ago with their friends. Contrast of aesthetics with the day of the tragedy and the brother sitting at the lake- bright and warm tones, contrasting with dark, blue and grey harsh tones. Towards the end of the sequence, a narration of the you

The Gunfighter (Eric Kissack, 2014)  The film starts off with a medium shot of the Gunfighter walking into the the saloon. The mise-en-scene of costume with the dark colour scheme, as well as the lowered hat to hide the man features creates connotations of enigma and mystery as to who the character is within the film. The dramatic entrance of the Gunfighter, especially paired with the non-diegetic music in the background, presents the film as seemingly dramatic at the beginning and as though it fits into the western genre of film in which the setting is based on. This aesthetic of dark colours of the saloon and the overall western theme of the mise-en-scene lures the audience into an environment they perhaps recognise or feel familiar with, only to then be surprised when the omniscient narrator interrupts.  The medium shot of the gunfighter in the saloon reacting to the non-diegetic sound of the narrator's dialogue creates an environment in which the audience also don

High Maintenance (Phillip Van, 2006)  The opening shot of the film is a medium long shot of the main female character eating dinner at the head of the table with her husband. By making this the opening shot of the film, it connotes to the audience that between the two characters, the wife has the most power as the long shot used implies that she has the most control over the environment around her as the back of her husbands head is the only shot you get of him up to present, highlighting his lack of significance from the very start.  The diegetic sound used of the couple eating creates a scene of realism and amplifies the awkward and dull exchange between the two, as neither of them are talking and the only sound to fill the silence is them eating. The close-up shots of both husband and wife also create a personal and intimate environment between the pair, perhaps trying to present an ideal environment in which they wish they had between them -one being full of intimacy. Ho

Connect  (Samuel Abrahams, 2010)  The film starts off with a medium close up shot of the main female character, this connotes from the start of the film that she's going to be important to the narrative. As well as this, the intimate and personal proximity of the camera to the character also allows a moment of connection between her and the audience, as she's the only focus from the very start. This ideology of personal connections to people we barley know is prominent throughout the entirety of the film, and so therefore by setting up that feeling very early on with the audience and main character, it makes it much more noticeable through the narrative as something we want to happen to others. However, the low-key lighting of the woman does suggest a very dull and mundane energy to her emotions at the start of the film, suggesting that she is going about a very monotonous life deemed very boring in her eyes.   The film then continues to show her trying to get on a